Penguin Facts: Species & Habitat Penguin Facts: Species & Habitat By Alina Bradford, Live Science Contributor | September 22, 2014 04:30pm ET MORE Credit: Dr. Robert Ricker, NOAA/NOS/ORR Penguins are torpedo-shaped, flightless birds that live in the southern regions of the Earth. Though many people imagine a small, black-and-white animal when they think of penguins, these birds actually come in a variety of sizes, and some are very colorful. For example, crested penguins sport a crown of yellow feathers. Blushes of orange and yellow mark the necks of emperor and king penguins. What look like bright yellow, bushy eyebrows adorn the heads of some species, such as the Fiordland, royal, Snares and rockhopper penguins. The macaroni penguin's name comes from the crest of yellow feathers on its head, which looks like the 18th-century hats of the same name. A light yellow mask covers the face of the yellow-eyed penguin around the eyes. An Adélie penguin on Penguin Island, which forms part of the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica.

Credit: Gemma Clucas According to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), there are 19 species of penguin. (Some experts, however, say the eastern rockhopper is a subspecies of the southern rockhopper.) [ Gallery: Photos of 18 Penguin Species ] The smallest penguin species is the little (also called little blue) penguin. These birds grow to 10 to 12 inches (25.4 to 30.48 centimeters) tall and weigh only 2 to 3 lbs. (0.90 to 1.36 kilograms). The largest penguin is the emperor penguin. It grows to 36 to 44 inches (91.44 to 111.76 cm) tall and weighs 60 to 90 lbs (27.21 to 40.82 kg). Where do penguins live? Considered marine birds, penguins live up to 80 percent of their lives in the ocean, according to the New England Aquarium . All penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, though it is a common myth that they all live in Antarctica.

In fact, penguins can be found on every continent in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also a myth that penguins can only live in cold climates. The Galapagos penguin, for example, lives on tropical islands at the equator. What do penguins eat? Penguins are carnivores; they eat only meat. Their diet includes krill (tiny crustaceans), squid and fish. Some species of penguin can make a large dent in an area's food supply. For example, the breeding population of Adélie penguins (about 2,370,000 pairs) can consume up to 1.5 million metric tons (1.5 billion kg) of krill, 115,000 metric tons (115 million kg) of fish and 3,500 metric tons (3.5 million kg) of squid each year, according to Sea World . The yellow-eyed penguin is very tenacious when foraging for food. It will dive as deep as 120 meters (393.70 feet) up to 200 times a day looking for fish, according to the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust .

Mating & baby penguins A group of penguins is called a colony, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. During breeding season, penguins come ashore to form huge colonies called rookeries, according to Sea World. Most penguins are monogamous. This means that male and female pairs will mate exclusively with each other for the duration of mating season. In many cases, the male and female will continue to mate with each other for most of their lives. For example, research has found that chinstrap penguins re-paired with the same partner 82 percent of the time and gentoo penguins re-paired 90 percent of the time. At around three to eight years old, a penguin is mature enough to mate. Most species breed during the spring and summer. The male usually starts the mating ritual and will pick out a nice nesting site before he approaches a female. After mating, the female emperor or king penguin will lay a single egg. All other species of penguins lay two eggs. The two parents will take turns holding the eggs between their legs for warmth in a nest. The one exception is the emperor penguin .

The female of this species will place the egg on the male's feet to keep warm in his fat folds while she goes out and hunts for several weeks. When penguin chicks are ready to hatch, they use their beaks to break through the shell of their eggs. This process can take up to three days. After the chicks emerge, the parents will take turns feeding their offspring with regurgitated food. Penguin parents can identify their offspring by unique calls that the chick will make. Emperor penguins may migrate to find new nesting grounds. Credit: Michelle LaRue Penguins - PdfSR.com Penguins Penguins are flightless sea birds of the Southern Hemisphere. Worldwide there are 17 species of penguins, found in Antarctica, South Australia, New Zealand, and off the coasts of Peru, Chile, and South Africa. Some species live as far north as the equatorial Galapagos Islands, but penguins are primarily cold-weather birds. There are seven species of Antarctic penguins: the Adelie, Gentoo, Macaroni, Chinstrap, Rockhopper, King, and Emperor. The Adelie, Emperor, Chinstrap, and Gentoo penguins are the only four penguins that breed on the Antarctic continent.

Physiology Penguins have a heavier skeleton than most birds, oily waterproof feathers, and specialized glands that extract and excrete excess salt. Their feathers, which even cover their bills and feet, combine with a thick layer of fat to insulate them. This works so effectively that the birds frequently overheat in the frigid waters. Their size varies by species, from the sixteen inch, two and a half pound Little Blue penguin of Australia to the truly Antarctic sixty-six pound Emperor penguin, which stands more than three and a half feet tall. Penguins swim like other birds fly. Their wings have not disappeared, nor have they become vestigial, useless appendages. Instead, they've evolved into flippers. When underwater penguins use highly developed muscles to flap their wings to move forward, and they guide themselves with their tail. They are the only bird to "porpoise." Meaning, they launch themselves out of the water, momentarily flying in fluid arches as they continue to swim forward at high speeds like dolphins. Gentoo penguins are thought to be the fastest of all swimming birds, achieving speeds of thirteen to seventeen miles per hour. The Hunter and the Hunted Penguin’s predators include: leopard seals, sea lions, and killer whales.

Skua gulls are the greatest natural threat to chicks and eggs. In turn, penguins dive to hunt fish, squid and krill -- a small shrimp-like crustacean. Penguins’ dependence on krill was demonstrated in dramatic fashion in 1995, when thousands of Adelie and Emperor chicks died due to unusual movements of krill swarms. While hunting most penguins only submerge for about 1 minute, but Emperors can dive as deep as 180 feet for up to 18 minutes. Species Characteristics The Macaroni and Rockhopper penguins are in the same genus, Eudyptes. Both have yellow crests decorating and distinguishing their heads. In fact, the Macaroni gets its name for this feature after "Macaroni Dandies," resplendently dressed eighteenth century Englishmen. Some Macaronis breed on the Antarctic Peninsula. The five and a half pound Rockhopper is the smallest Antarctic species, but it compensates for its smallness by being the most aggressive of all penguins. The Gentoo, Chinstraps, and Adelies are the southernmost representatives of the genus Pygoscelis. These three species are roughly the same size.

The Gentoo is the rarest of the three, with a population of about 350,000 and is mostly found on South Georgia, an island northeast of the peninsula. The Chinstrap gets its name from markings on its head and neck, and it is considerably more abundant, at about ten million. Some Chinstrap penguins breed on the Antarctic Peninsula. The Adelie is the most numerous of the Antarctic penguins. Adelie penguins have the classic penguin look, being white and black with no adornments. On average, an Adelie weighs about 11 pounds and stands a little less than thirty inches tall. The Adelie breeds widely on the continent proper and its colonies can number in the millions. The Emperor and the King penguins belong to the genus Aptenodytes and look more alike than different. However, the Emperor is considerably larger, weighing twice as much on average. They both have yellow and orange markings around the neck, black heads, white bellies, and blue-gray backs. The King penguin breeds on the subantarctic islands, while the Emperor breeds on the continent's ice. The Emperor is the only bird that will live its entire life on ice.

Colonies Penguins breed in colonies and can be fiercely territorial. They breed closely together mostly because there is very little ice-free space. But they are also highly social animals that recognize individuals and return as adults to the rookery where they were born. The colony helps these birds guard, protect, and defend their young. Within these colonies, penguins build rookeries with pebbles and guano. The one exception to this is the Emperor penguin who does not build a nest at all because it breeds on the ice. Breeding Six of the seven Antarctic species breed during the summer; the Emperor breeds during the unbelievably cold, dark Antarctic winter. The Emperor has a longer gestation period than other penguins, so it must time its cycle in order to ensure its chicks become independent during the summer when food is abundant. Once the female lays the egg she leaves for two months to hunt and feed in the sea. The male is left behind to incubate the egg, which requires a two to three month fast that results in the male loosing from a third to half of his body weight. Upon hatching the female returns to rear the chick and the male ventures out to sea to regain his weight.

Threats Today, penguins are economically important in South America and South Africa for their guano, used for fertilizer, and as tourist attractions. In the past, commercial egg collecting caused severe damage to rookeries. Around the turn of the century, penguins were also slaughtered for their blubber -- especially the King. However, present day Antarctic penguins find their greatest human threats from inadvertent interference. Direct Threats Nearly all of Antarctica is covered in ice, this results in a competition for breeding areas among different breeding groups. This competition is intensified when humans begin utilizing the same ice-free areas. Tourism and airstrips on the continent can affect penguins in unpredictable and dangerous ways. Unfortunate incidents, like the building of the French airstrip Dumont d'Urville on the rocky Adelie coastline, have ruined some of the best bird breeding areas on the continent. (In 1994, a tidal wave washed away a good deal of that airstrip.) Indirect Threats Penguins are also threatened by the over-fishing of their main food source, krill.

Krill are considered a keystone species, meaning that they form a base upon which an entire ecosystem is dependent, conversely, if the krill stocks are depleted the effects are seen through the entire ecosystem, including penguins. There have also been discussions regarding the impact of climate change on krill abundance. While the global average temperature has increased by an average of .6°C it has increased in Antarctica peninsula by 2.5° C in the last 50 years. This rise in temperature is behind the decreasing sea-ice cover, which decreases the amount of algae which krill feed upon, thus reducing their abundance. With increasing awareness of climate change and its effects on melting ice, ocean currents, and overall temperatures, there are some scientists who are concerned that penguins will be especially hard hit by climate change. Scientists have now begun to explore the possibility that climate change is responsible for the population decline of the Adelie penguin by 33% over the last twenty years.

Protection Penguins are protected under the Antarctic Treaty System, the Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora (Recommendations III-8 of 1964), which prohibits killing, wounding, capturing, or molesting any native mammal or bird in Antarctica without a permit. Also governed by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which is part of the Antarctic Treaty System. The Convention takes a unique approach by managing from a complete ecosystem perspective and with a precautionary approach. Therefore decisions are made based on the health and wellbeing of the entire ecosystem and aimed a preventing damage instead of reacting to an already present situation. 1630 Connecticut Ave. N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20009-1053 Photos of Flightless Birds: All 18 Penguin Species Photos of Flightless Birds: All 18 Penguin Species By Clara Moskowitz | September 10, 2010 11:40am ET MORE Emperor Penguin Credit: Michael Van Woert, NOAA NESDIS, ORA Penguins are a group of non-flying aquatic birds that live in the Southern Hemisphere.

They include 18 species 13 of which are either threatened or endangered. With their habitats and food supply under threat from humans and climate change, it could take a major effort to save some of these creatures from extinction. Clara Moskowitz is a senior writer for LiveScience , a sister site to OurAmazingPlanet. Galápagos penguins The Galápagos penguin, endemic to the ((CONLINK|6800|GalÃ Emperor penguins Credit: Dr. Robert Ricker, NOAA/NOS/ORR Emperor penguins are the largest of the penguin species, and mate and breed on the ice of Antarctica. They make a harrowing trek across up to 75 miles (120 kilometers) of ice to reach breeding colonies during the frigid Antarctic winter. While this life can be rather austere, for now it is sustaining: Emperor penguins are rated of least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Female emperor penguins hatch an egg, and the males incubate it while she forages for food. After chicks are born males and females take turns diving for food and caring for the young.

Humboldt penguins Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Drcwp1 Humboldt penguins are native to the Southern Hemisphere, but these Humboldts live at Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The species is rated vulnerable to extinction, and has been strongly impacted by El Nino , which changes the water temperature and reduced the amount of food available for the penguins. African penguins Credit: dreamstime African penguins, a once robust iconic species in Namibia and South Africa, have experienced a precipitous decline and were recently reclassified as endangered. Chinstrap penguins Credit: Lieutenant Philip Hall, NOAA Corps Chinstrap penguins, found on barren islands and large icebergs around Antarctica, are not endangered. This is an adult chinstrap penguin at Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island. King penguins Credit: Lieutenant Philip Hall, NOAA Corps This long-distance forager species is stable, but one study found that their average foraging range has recently doubled, meaning they are having to travel farther to find food. They are the second largest penguin species in the world, following the Emperor.

Magellanic penguins Credit: Graham Harris/Wildlife Conservation Society These South American penguins breed in coastal Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Islands. While at one point within the last few decades there were thought to be about 6 million breeding pairs of Magellanic penguins in the wild, now there are estimated to be only 1 million pairs. They are rated near-threatened. Adelie penguins Credit: Dr. Robert Ricker, NOAA/NOS/ORR These penguins are found on the coast of Antarctica . Here an Adelie penguin nurses its egg. Rockhopper penguins Credit: Dr. Robert Ricker, NOAA/NOS/ORR Rockhopper penguins include two species the northern and southern rockhopper. The population of northern rockhoppers has declined by 90 percent over the last 50 years, according to a 2009 paper in the journal Bird Conservation International. They have been strongly affected by algal blooms and oil dumping in the oceans, as well as competition for prey with commercial fisheries. Gentoo penguins Credit: Zee Evans, National Science Foundation A gentoo penguin on Petermann Island, near the Antarctic Peninsula.

Gentoos' long stiff tail feathers are the most prominent of all penguins. Macaroni penguins Credit: Commander Richard Behn, NOAA Corps This species, with its signature orange tuft, is found from subantarctic regions to the Antarctic Peninsula. Macaroni penguins are rated vulnerable due to climate change , overfishing and chronic oil pollution. Little blue penguins Credit: dreamstime These are the smallest penguins in the world, and are found on Australia and New Zealand. While they are not considered endangered, they are losing some habitat due to urban encroachment. Royal penguins Credit: Mike Usher, National Science Foundation This species native to the waters around Antarctica is considered vulnerable. Here are baby royal penguins on Macquarie Island, which is also home to king, gentoo and rockhopper penguins. Erect-crested penguins Credit: dreamstime This penguin found on offshore islands of New Zealand is endangered, most likely due to disease, prey availability and climate change. They have seen a roughly 70 percent population decline over 20 years.

Fiordland penguins Credit: Taronga Zoo Another New Zealand penguin, this vulnerable species is strongly impacted by mammals that have been introduced to the island by humans. These two female penguins, Chalky and Milford, live at the Taronga Zoo in Austraila. Yellow-eyed penguins Credit: dreamstime These New Zealand penguins are endangered, primarily due to habitat encroachment from agriculture. Here, a yellow eyed penguin looks aside on the beach at Curio Bay, New Zealand South Island. Snares penguins Credit: Thomas Mattern, University of Otago Also native to New Zealand, this species has lost about 13 percent of its population over 10 years. Author Bio Clara Moskowitz, Clara has a bachelor's degree in astronomy and physics from Wesleyan University, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has written for both Space.com and Live Science. Clara Moskowitz, on Emperor Penguin Credit: Michael Van Woert, NOAA NESDIS, ORA Penguins are a group of non-flying aquatic birds that live in the Southern Hemisphere. They include 18 species 13 of which are either threatened or endangered.

With their habitats and food supply under threat from humans and climate change, it could take a major effort to save some of these creatures from extinction. Clara Moskowitz is a senior writer for LiveScience , a sister site to OurAmazingPlanet. Galápagos penguins The Galápagos penguin, endemic to the ((CONLINK|6800|GalÃ Emperor penguins Credit: Dr. Robert Ricker, NOAA/NOS/ORR Emperor penguins are the largest of the penguin species, and mate and breed on the ice of Antarctica. They make a harrowing trek across up to 75 miles (120 kilometers) of ice to reach breeding colonies during the frigid Antarctic winter. While this life can be rather austere, for now it is sustaining: Emperor penguins are rated of least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Female emperor penguins hatch an egg, and the males incubate it while she forages for food. After chicks are born males and females take turns diving for food and caring for the young.

Humboldt penguins Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Drcwp1 Humboldt penguins are native to the Southern Hemisphere, but these Humboldts live at Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The species is rated vulnerable to extinction, and has been strongly impacted by El Nino , which changes the water temperature and reduced the amount of food available for the penguins. African penguins Credit: dreamstime African penguins, a once robust iconic species in Namibia and South Africa, have experienced a precipitous decline and were recently reclassified as endangered. Chinstrap penguins Credit: Lieutenant Philip Hall, NOAA Corps Chinstrap penguins, found on barren islands and large icebergs around Antarctica, are not endangered. This is an adult chinstrap penguin at Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island. King penguins Credit: Lieutenant Philip Hall, NOAA Corps This long-distance forager species is stable, but one study found that their average foraging range has recently doubled, meaning they are having to travel farther to find food. They are the second largest penguin species in the world, following the Emperor.

Magellanic penguins Credit: Graham Harris/Wildlife Conservation Society These South American penguins breed in coastal Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Islands. While at one point within the last few decades there were thought to be about 6 million breeding pairs of Magellanic penguins in the wild, now there are estimated to be only 1 million pairs. They are rated near-threatened. Adelie penguins Credit: Dr. Robert Ricker, NOAA/NOS/ORR These penguins are found on the coast of Antarctica . Here an Adelie penguin nurses its egg. Rockhopper penguins Credit: Dr. Robert Ricker, NOAA/NOS/ORR Rockhopper penguins include two species the northern and southern rockhopper. The population of northern rockhoppers has declined by 90 percent over the last 50 years, according to a 2009 paper in the journal Bird Conservation International. They have been strongly affected by algal blooms and oil dumping in the oceans, as well as competition for prey with commercial fisheries. Gentoo penguins Credit: Zee Evans, National Science Foundation A gentoo penguin on Petermann Island, near the Antarctic Peninsula.

Gentoos' long stiff tail feathers are the most prominent of all penguins. Macaroni penguins Credit: Commander Richard Behn, NOAA Corps This species, with its signature orange tuft, is found from subantarctic regions to the Antarctic Peninsula. Macaroni penguins are rated vulnerable due to climate change , overfishing and chronic oil pollution. Little blue penguins Credit: dreamstime These are the smallest penguins in the world, and are found on Australia and New Zealand. While they are not considered endangered, they are losing some habitat due to urban encroachment. Royal penguins Credit: Mike Usher, National Science Foundation This species native to the waters around Antarctica is considered vulnerable. Here are baby royal penguins on Macquarie Island, which is also home to king, gentoo and rockhopper penguins. Erect-crested penguins Credit: dreamstime This penguin found on offshore islands of New Zealand is endangered, most likely due to disease, prey availability and climate change. They have seen a roughly 70 percent population decline over 20 years.

Fiordland penguins Credit: Taronga Zoo Another New Zealand penguin, this vulnerable species is strongly impacted by mammals that have been introduced to the island by humans. These two female penguins, Chalky and Milford, live at the Taronga Zoo in Austraila. Yellow-eyed penguins Credit: dreamstime These New Zealand penguins are endangered, primarily due to habitat encroachment from agriculture. Here, a yellow eyed penguin looks aside on the beach at Curio Bay, New Zealand South Island. Snares penguins Credit: Thomas Mattern, University of Otago Also native to New Zealand, this species has lost about 13 percent of its population over 10 years.

Penguin species: Emperor penguin, King penguin, Adelie, Rockhopper, Blue penguin, Macaroni, African (Jackass), Gentoo, Chinstrap, Little Blue (Fairy) / White-flippered, Erect-crested, Fjordland, Royal, Snares, Galapagos, Magellanic, Humboldt and Yellow-eyed You are here: Home > Information on penguins > Penguin species There are seventeen (17) penguin species in the world, classified into six (6) groups (genera). All of these species live in the southern hemisphere (below the equator). Penguin species differ in size, colors, habits and habitat. Species of penguins living more southerly (colder areas) tend to be larger than species living in warmer areas. Below is an overview of the seventeen species together with their lengths and weights. More data and penguin pictures will be added later. Saving the Planet - Endangered Species Rockhopper SPECIES There are lots of species of penguins out there.

These are some of them: King, Royal, Erect-crested, Yellow-eyed, Fjordland, Snares, Magellanic, African, Humboldt, Emperor, Gentoo, Adelie, Rockhopper, Chinstrap, Galapagos, Little(Blue), Macaroni. Penguins only live in the southern hemisphere. They can be found in the southern part of Africa, South America, Antarctica, Australia and New Zealand. BASIC FACTS You all probably know that penguins are birds but even though penguins are birds they can't fly. If you ever see a penguin swimming it will look it is flying in the water. These are some things penguins eat: shrimp, squid, fish, shellfish, krill. BABIES Penguins lay one or two eggs at a time. Once the egg is laid the father sits on nest to keep it warm while the mother feeds to store fat. When she returns the egg is ready to hatch. When it hatches both parents care for the chick. When getting food one guards the chick and the other gets the food. Penguins are not taught to swim. Once they get their adult feathers they leave the nest and jump in the water and swim away.

Chick • fairy (little blue) - Eudyptula minor • Magellanic - Spheniscus magellanicus • African (formerly known as black-footed) - Spheniscus demersus • Galapagos - Spheniscus mendiculus FAST FACTS DESCRIPTION: The upright body posture and mostly black-and-white coloration makes penguins easy to distinguish from other birds. As with other marine animals, penguins have a fusiform (tapered) shape. The forelimbs are modified into flippers, the tail is short and wedge-shaped and the hind limbs are set far back on the body, which is supported on land by webbed feet. Species-specific markings on the head and facial areas make it easy to tell the adults of most penguin species apart. MALE Male and female penguins of most species are not sexually dimorphic. The exception is the crested penguins in which males are more robust and have larger bills. SIZE: The emperor penguin is the largest penguin, standing 112 cm (44 in) tall. The smallest penguin is the fairy penguin, standing just 41 cm (16 in).

WEIGHT: Of the 18 penguin species, emperor penguins weigh the most at 27-41 kg (60-90 lbs). In contrast, the fairy penguin is the lightest, weighing roughly 1 kg (2.2 lbs). DIET: Depends on the species - fishes, squid and krill (a shrimplike crustacean) INCUBATION: In most species of penguins, both the male and female parent takes turns incubating the egg. In emperor penguins, the female transfers a newly laid egg to her mate's feet, and then leaves to feed at sea while the male incubates the egg for as long as 66 days. The incubation period lasts anywhere from 4 weeks (erect-crested penguins) to 66 days (emperor penguins). For most species, breeding season occurs from the Southern hemisphere's spring through summer period. The primary exception is the emperor penguin which breeds during the Southern hemisphere's winter period. CLUTCH SIZE Emperor and king penguins typically lay a single egg, whereas penguins of other species usually lay two eggs.

SEXUAL MATURITY: For most species, the average lifespan is 15-20 years although some individuals live much longer. RANGE: All penguins live south of the equator, from the icy waters of Antarctica to the tropical Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador, just south of the equator. HABITAT: Tend to inhabit islands and remote landmasses that are relatively free from land predators. Some species spend nearly 75% of their life at sea. POPULATION: GLOBAL Chinstrap penguins may be the most numerous penguin species, with a population estimated at 6.5 million breeding pairs. The vulnerable yellow-eyed penguin population is estimated at less than 7,000. STATUS: Humboldt penguin - Appendix I; African penguin - Appendix II USFWS The Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) is listed as Endangered OTHER All Antarctic penguins are legally protected by the Antarctic Treaty. Penguins are vulnerable to habitat destruction, overfishing of primary food sources, ecological disasters such as oil spills and human encroachment into nesting areas. FUN FACTS 1.

All penguins live south of the equator, from the icy waters of Antarctica to the tropical Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador, almost astride the equator. 2. Penguins are specialized marine birds adapted to living at sea. Some species spend as much as 75% of their lives in the sea - only coming ashore for breeding and molting. Penguin wings are paddle-like flippers used for swimming, not flying. 3. Penguins have denser feathers than most other types of birds having as many as 70 feathers per square inch. These feathers are spaced very closely and tufted with down on the shafts to help keep the penguins warm. 4. Adult penguins are countershaded (dark dorsal, light ventral) which helps to conceal swimming penguins from predators such as killer whales, sharks or leopard seals. When viewed from above, the dark dorsal side blends in with the darker ocean depths. When viewed from beneath, the light ventral side helps in with the lighter surface of the sea. 5. Antarctic species of penguins can move quickly on ice by tobogganing on their bellies using their flippers and feet to help propel them along. 6.

Chinstrap penguins may be the most numerous penguin, with a population estimated at 12-13 million. 7. The most vulnerable penguin is the yellow-eyed penguin, which inhabits the coasts and offshore islands of southeast New Zealand. The yellow-eyed penguin population is estimated at less than 7,000. 8. For more in-depth information, explore the PENGUIN INFOBOOK . ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION The Antarctic Treaty legally protects all Antarctic penguins. Penguins are vulnerable to habitat destruction, overfishing of primary food sources, ecological disasters such as oil spills, and human encroachment into nesting areas. Collectively, SeaWorld Adventure Parks have maintained nine species of penguins, all of which have successfully reproduced. SeaWorld, San Diego has hatched over 500 penguins. This is the only place outside of Antarctica that emperor penguins have successfully reproduced. To date 20 emperor penguins have hatched and been raised at SeaWorld, San Diego. In addition, the Humboldt penguins at SeaWorld are part of the species survival program (SSP) of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association in an attempt to ensure the survival of this endangered species.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Coates, J. Penguins: Flightless Birds of the Southern Hemisphere. San Diego. SeaWorld, Inc. 2001. Oki, D. Penguins. San Diego. SeaWorld, Inc. 1996. Peterson, R.T. Penguins. Boston. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1979. audubon.org/bird/BoA/BOA_index.html Penguins Penguins Groups & Education Overnight Adventures More awe-inspiring than sleeping under the stars, Overnight Adventures allow your group to spend the night with the most exotic & interesting creatures. Penguins Penguins Imagine a group of highly sociable birds that abandoned flight millions of years ago and that now spend up to 75 percent of their lives in water. That description can only be given to the penguins. There are 17 species of penguins on earth and they all live south of the equator. The largest is the Emperor penguin, which stands almost four feet tall while the Little Blue Penguin stands only about 16 inches tall. Penguins are primarily black and white, although some species have small tufts of colorful plumage that accent their heads.

The black back and white front pattern on a penguin’s body is know as “counter-shading” and is critical to a penguin’s survival. When a penguin swims underwater, its black back helps it blend into the dark water when viewed from above. The white underside allows it to blend into the light background when viewed from below. Although penguins are flightless birds and look comical as they waddle on land, they display both agility and grace when swimming. A penguin’s wings are small, sturdy and streamlined. With just a few flaps, these wings send a penguin “flying” through the water. Some penguins can speed up to 15 miles per hour underwater. Penguins have several characteristics that help them below the surface. Unlike flying birds, the bones of penguins are solid and dense. That makes them strong, not very buoyant, and helps them dive deep underwater. Because water easily pulls heat away from a body, a penguin must be able to insulate itself. Dense and oily feathers, up to 70 per square inch, overlap and form a waterproof barrier. A layer of blubber below the penguin’s feathers and skin also helps keep the penguin warm.

Special blood flow patterns in the feet of penguin reduce heat loss. Penguins feed entirely on aquatic animals -- crustaceans, fish and squid. The types of food consumed will vary among penguin species and will also change over the year as the availability of certain foods changes. Penguins chase their food underwater, and upon catching it, will swallow it whole. Although penguins are only found in the southern hemisphere, some species occur in bitterly cold climates while other species occur in more temperate regions. All penguin species reproduce on land. Most will build nests, but some penguin species will hold an egg on top of their feet to protect it from the deadly cold. Parents will take turns incubating the egg and guarding the nest. This is done so that each penguin has the chance to go to sea to feed. About two weeks after the penguin chick hatches, it is large enough to be left alone by both parents. This allows both parents to search for food at sea, and bring back enough for the rapidly growing chick. Cold Climate Penguins At the Newport Aquarium, the cold weather species of penguins you’ll discover include the King, Gentoo, Rockhopper, Macaroni and Chinstrap penguins.

You can see and learn more about all these species at our Penguin Palooza exhibit. Warm Climate Penguins Blackfoot penguins from South Africa prefer much warmer temperatures than their cold-weather cousins and because of this, they are housed separately. Although our Blackfoot penguins are not part of the Penguin Palooza exhibit, the Newport Aquarium offers the opportunity for guests to purchase a one-of-a-kind hand-on experience with these amazing birds through a Penguin Encounter . Penguin Palooza Macaroni penguin | TravelWild Expeditions Macaroni penguin Introduction to Macaroni Penguins The most numerous of all the world’s penguins, the macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus) was named for the flamboyant plumage of its golden-orange forehead crest.

Mid-18th century British explorers were reminded of an outlandish clothing fashion trend of their day called "maccaroni." "Macaroni" was also incorporated into the famous American Revolutionary War tune, "Yankee Doodle"—who "stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni." The phrase was co-opted from a British military tune used to mock the disheveled, disorganized and "naïve" "Yankees" with whom the British served in the French and Indian War. Macaroni penguin Researchers estimate that upwards of 11 million breeding pairs of macaroni penguins populate the Southern Ocean. While the breeding numbers of the species are still relatively high, researchers have noticed an alarming decline in the population, possibly due to climate change and its effect on penguin food supplies. Identifying Macaroni Penguins—Physical Characteristics Macaroni penguins are one of the largest crested penguins (the closely-related royal penguin is slightly larger) with an average length of 28 inches (70cm) and an average weight of 12 pounds (5.5kg). Their weight fluctuates greatly due to fasting while breeding and molting.

The male is slightly larger than the female. Like most penguins they are a predominantly black and white bird; the head and upperparts are black and the underparts are white. The bill is bulbous and orange-brown, the eyes red, and a patch of pinkish bare skin extends from the base of the bill to the eye. The legs and feet are pink. Both males and females sport their signature golden-orange crests, which extend from the forehead and sweep backward above each eye. Juvenile plumage is duller, the bill is dark and the crest is usually not developed. In the field they can be confused with rockhopper and royal penguins, although the home range of royal penguins rarely overlaps the range of macaronis. Distribution and Migration of Macaroni Penguins Macaroni penguins are seen on TravelWild cruises on the sub–Antarctic Islands and, occasionally, on the northwestern Antarctic Peninsula and its adjacent islands. The largest breeding populations are found on the islands of South Georgia, Crozet, Kerguelen, Heard and McDonald. When not breeding or molting the penguins are pelagic, living on the open ocean and migrating long distances in the winter (April–September).

At sea they are sometimes seen off the southern coasts of Chile and Argentina. A 2009 study found that macaroni penguins from Kerguelen travelled over 6,000 miles (10,000km) in the central Indian Ocean. During the non-breeding/molting season, it is rare to see a macaroni penguin on land. Macaroni Penguin Habitat Macaroni penguins at Royal Bay, South Georgia Macaroni penguins breed among rocky slopes and outcrops, along beaches, and among dense grassy tussocks in very noisy colonies. On some sub-Antarctic islands their nest sites can be on steep, high mountains below towering glaciers. These sites are often easily spotted—the areas have been denuded by penguins pulling grass out of the tussock, as well as by the effects of over-fertilization from the nitrogen in their droppings. When not breeding or molting they live on the open ocean. Macaroni Penguin Diet Macaroni penguins feed mainly on krill, but will occasionally eat other small crustaceans, fish and squid. Prey is captured by diving to depths of 50–200 feet.

Dives rarely exceed two minutes in duration. Macaroni Penguin Behavior Macaroni penguins often swim with a porpoising action, travelling just below the water surface and periodically leaping into the air to take short breaths without slowing. Their speed averages six miles per hour (10km/h). “Porpoising” helps them avoid predation by fur seals, leopard seals and killer whales. On land their main predator is the skua which snatches unguarded penguin eggs and chicks from nests. Kelp gulls and giant petrels are also a threat. Like most penguins they have an elaborate set of calls, bows and displays to keep their pair bond secure and to aid in locating, identifying and feeding their chicks. On land during the breeding season, macaronis devote much time to preening to remove dirt and parasites and to maintain the waterproof condition of their plumage. Mutual preening also helps to reinforce the pair bond. Macaroni Penguin Breeding and Mating During October macaroni penguins go ashore following a winter at sea. They assemble in huge colonies, first to locate or to choose mates, then to incubate eggs and rear their chicks.

Females begin breeding around age five while males start later, around age six. Studies have shown three-quarters of these penguins will keep the same mate and often return to the same nest site. Nests are scraped out of mud or gravel on rocky coasts and low cliffs and lined with a few small stones. On South Georgia some birds nest on flattened tussock grass. Two eggs are laid in early November. The first one is small and rarely hatches or, if it does, the chick is rarely raised to maturity. Macaroni penguins nesting Incubation duties are divided into three shifts. During the first shift of 12 days, both parents incubate the egg, then the male goes to sea leaving the female to do the second shift alone. Upon the male’s return for the third shift, the female goes to sea and does not return until the chicks have hatched—sometimes a chick may have to wait for up to a week after hatching to receive its first meal. Hatching occurs after 35 (+/-) days of incubation. The male broods the chick while the female forages, returning and regurgitating food daily, for approximately 25 days.

The time spent foraging increases as the chick grows larger and demands more food. Macaroni penguins rarely hunt farther than 25 miles away from the nest site during chick rearing. Parents locate their chick using the nest and vocalizations as identifiers. At the end of 25 days, the chick has developed a thick fluffy coat of feathers called the mesoptile plumage. These special feathers keep it warm enough to allow both parents to be away foraging for food. The chicks gather in large crèches for protection from predators and cold weather. Their feathers are only effective when dry, so the chick is unable to forage. Rain can be a threat, as can excessive heat in the crèches. At 11 weeks of age, chicks develop their waterproof plumage and they fledge to sea. They still lack the crests of the adults but have a scattering of small yellow feathers; the crest develops fully by 3–4 years of age, a year or two before breeding. After the chicks fledge, adults spend around three weeks at sea replenishing their supply of fat in preparation for their annual molt.

It is critical that the bird have adequate fat reserves prior to molting, as they do not feed during the 25-day molt and will temporarily lose many of their insulating feathers. Molting is necessary to replace worn feathers in order to maintain plumage that is waterproof and insulating. While molting, the penguins are relatively sedentary and remain ashore without eating. In April, the adults leave the breeding/molting site and head to sea. Macaroni Penguin Social Behavior Macaroni penguins tend toward monogamy and pair bonds are long lasting. Each year the pair reunites at the same nest location, recognizing each other by their calls. The birds are very vocal and showy during mating displays, communicating by complex ritual behaviors, such as head and flipper waving, trumpeting, bowing, gesturing and preening. Pairs often perform the “ecstatic display” during which a penguin bows forward, making loud throbbing sounds, and then extends its head and neck upward until the neck and beak are vertical. The bird then waves its head from side to side while braying loudly. Macaroni penguins are thought to live between 8 and 15 years.

Chinstrap Penguin - A - Z Animals Chinstrap Penguin Male penguins are larger than the females. They have pink legs and feet. The penguin also swims 80 km (50 mi) offshore. Chinstrap penguin swimming © BODY-LENGTH: 72 centimeters (28 in) WEIGHT: 3–5 kilograms (6.6–11.0 lb) Habitat Unknown Range Antarctica, Argentina, Bouvet Island, Chile, Falkland Islands, French Southern Territories, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha Diet

Question: Macaroni, Chinstrap and Rockhopper are all species of which bird?
Answer: Penguins